Who Steals Trees from Children? Professor Rick Harper Speaks in Support of Tree Replacement Effort

Recently, trees that had been planted at the Square One Daycare facility on King Street were uprooted and vandalized. ReGreen Springfield, a local nonprofit tree advocacy and planting group, immediately took action to donate and replant replacement trees, free of charge. Univ of Massachusetts Extension Assistant Professor and ReGreen Member Rick Harper was on hand at the July 22nd event to speak to local media about something positive being born out of something negative: “This really is about the community coming together,” Harper told reporters, “and these kids get to see these trees grow and develop firsthand – this is something really positive.” He went on to describe the trees and how the benefits associated with their presence in the community are numerous and well documented.

Kimberly Lee, Vice-President for Community Advancement at Square One was present and commented that the event “is really what is good in Springfield and what is great in Springfield.” In appreciation, students from Square One presented Regreen Springfield with a thank you card; they also posted “Thank you ReGreen Springfield and UMASS” on their Facebook page, along with numerous photos of the event.